No Plane No Gain

NBAA, GAMA Tell The New York Times: 'No Plane, No Gain'

Dec. 20, 2013

A Dec. 16 article in The New York Times called attention to the vital role of business aviation in helping companies access new markets in hard-to-reach locations around the globe. That message is also a staple of the No Plane No Gain campaign, which is co-sponsored by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Established in 2009, No Plane No Gain emphasizes the industry's role in assisting companies of all sizes to be more productive and efficient. One of the most important aspects to this mission is how business aviation provides access to destinations around the globe that are otherwise largely inaccessible through other modes of transportation.

In the article, "Travel to Far-Flung Places Spurs Private Jet Growth," NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen noted that business aviation remains a vital asset for any company, large or small, that is "truly operating in a global marketplace."

While Bolen acknowledged the significance of the Internet for facilitating global commerce, he added, "to do business in far-flung places there is still a need for face-to-face communication," which in many areas would not be possible without the use of a business aircraft.

GAMA also weighed in, providing valuable data that brought context to the story. As the newspaper reported: "The manufacture of ultra-long-range planes grew 29 percent for the year through September, compared with the same period last year, while business jet manufacturing as a whole shrank by 2.1 percent, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association."

VistaJet owner Thomas Flohr noted in the article that globalization has led to a significant shift in routes flown by business jets over the past 10 years. Whereas he once used his airplane to travel to economic hubs like London and Paris, today his company flies to destinations in China, Mozambique and Nigeria.

The article also emphasized how business jets are a vital tool for companies – much like a smartphone, or tablet device – rather than the common misperception of those aircraft as luxury items.

"These are not routes that people fly for vacation," noted aviation data analyst Joshua Marks of masFlight. "You want to get in as quickly and stealthily as you can. Private jets don't market routes. They respond when clients ask."